23.6k views
1 vote
What are arguments against free trade? Explain your counter arguments.

2 Answers

4 votes

One of the main arguments against free trade is that, when trade introduces lower cost international competitors, it puts domestic producers out of business. ... Second, free trade not only reduces jobs in some industries, but it also creates jobs in other industries.

Benefits are it drives economic growth, enhanced efficiency, increased innovation, and the greater fairness that accompanies a rules-based system. These benefits increase as overall trade—exports and imports—increases. Free trade increases access to higher-quality, lower-priced goods.

User Graeme Wicksted
by
4.9k points
3 votes

Arguments:

It causes misery

It only benefits the rich

Without control, the market causes nothing but trouble

Counter-Arguments:

"It causes misery"

Free Trade cannot bring misery since misery is the natural state of men. What it does, in fact, is to offer a chance through voluntary exchanges for people to leave the state of misery.

"It only benefits the rich"

This is also false. The form of government that often benefits the rich only is what we call corporatism, in which the richest of the people corrupts the government so they can benefit for it. Mostly, the ones who suffer are small business and the common folk. This is not free-trade, though, since many laws are usually created to limit people's freedom and entrepreneurship.

"Without control, the market causes nothing but trouble"

To be honest, it is the exact opposite. Every time that the government tries to interfere or fix the market, something bad happens. The government is not supposed to impede companies from bankrupting or getting too large. It is supposed to almost no laws and let the market itself regulate itself. If we are talking about a law that would be useful, it would be to make illegal for companies to try to control the government and to make it a crime, or directly responsibility to the companies, products that endanger or cause harm to people. And even that should be judged if something happens instead the reason for bureaucracy and impairment of progress.

User Sreejesh
by
5.3k points